Louis Vuitton Love Affair

Who doesn't love Louis Vuitton? Whether you are Angelina Jolie carrying the same LV bag for three years, or Kimora Lee Simmons who has an entire closet devoted to her LV bags, everyone loves Louis. The designs are classy, elegant and timeless. What's even better is when you hear a story about someone's amazing experience while buying their favorite bag. Check out my best friend's lovely LV experience:

On our honeymoon in Europe, it was my mission to buy as my souvenir one of the classic bags of all time, the LV Speedy. While in Portofino, we walked in to the LV store in the harbor. It was a hot day in early September, Europe had gone back to work after their August vacation and we basically had the town to ourselves. The store was empty and the salesperson was excited for the distraction of a potential customer. I told him I was in the market for a Speedy and also that we were on our honeymoon. His face lit up and he disappeared for what seemed like forever. He returned with three different sizes of Speedies AND a bottle of champagne!

He then proceeded to tell us all about the history of Louis Vuitton and showed us some of the original luggage that made the brand a household name. He also gave us some tips on how to spot a real Louis bag vs. a fake one. In the end we spent over 2 hours at the store sipping champagne, hearing stories and of course ultimately purchasing the bag!

To learn how to spot a real LV bag! read more

So the salesperson told us there are three primary ways to see if the LV logo bag is real or fake:

The "LV" logo will never be cut off, it will always appear whole.

There will never be a seam at the bottom of the bag where two pieces of fabric have been sewn together. Because of this, on a real bag, one side of the bag will always have the "LVs" upside down.

Wow, my comment to this post was "I should be put in a testtube and studied because I may be the only woman alive who doesn't like LV."
But there are others! I really dislike LV. For one, I hate logos. Just not a fan. I'd rather have a plain or leather version of any designer bag.
I think all the LV-overload was brought about by good ole Jessica Simpson. I think all her whining about her precious LV had everyone wanting to go out and get one to see what was so special. Now, when I see 12 year olds walking around the mall with one, it makes me want to barf. They're so common now, even if yours is real, everyone thinks it's a fake!

There are close to a thousand little things to look for when trying to spot a fake bag. There are even books on this topic
www.mypoupette.com has a very reliable book.
Here are a couple other ways to spot a fake:
1. Louis Vuitton is very careful with their stitching. It will be even and symmetrical. You should find the same number of stitches in similar locations on similar bags. (IE the leather tab that attaches the handle onto the bag of any size monogram Speedy will always have 5 regular and even stitches across the top)
2. When you buy and authentic Louis Vuitton from a boutique the tags will NEVER be attached to the bag. Louis Vuitton tags will usually be tucked into a pocket or inside the envelope that comes with your receipt.
3. Authentic LV bags tend to patina over time especially where the bag was carried. When the bag is new it is a very pale beige. The tanning of the leather is caused by exposure to the air, sun, dirt and oil from the hands.

Great tips, by the way Fab. You can usually tell from the quality of the leather. But some knockoffs are pretty close! I wouldn't buy a logo back if my life depended on it, but, hey if anyone asks me if something is real, I'll know!

I only like LV luggage. The purses are so blah. When even Walmart is copying you, give up!
Ann - I agree, the Birkin is one of my all time favorite purses. I love Dior and Chanel but those are more throwback lines for me. I've always loved them, so I always will.

This is a wonderful story, I am not especially crazy about the brown LV, just doesn't do much for me...I did really like the white with vibrant colors from a few years ago...I would much rather use this much money on something more unique...I agree that all the darn knockoffs take the excitement out of the real ones...

Actually, if you "borrowed" your mom's Speedy, the logo print would NOT necessarily be upside down on the reverse of the bag.
In the '80s, Vuitton commissioned a US-based company to produce the Speedy. They produced it with a single strip of leather on the base of the bag to "protect" the canvas, and they matched up the logo print, so both sides are right-side up.
Also, typically, LV makes modifications to their "classic" bags (like the Sac Plat, Speedies, Alma, Musettes, and so on) throughout the years.
So, what I'm saying is that vintage bags may not look like bags today, but that doesn't mean they are fakes.

Don't you reakon they would see sooo many more authentics if the were able to stop all the counterfeits. It would make them so much more valuble.
I'm From Sydney Aus, and generally speaking all the fakes are sold by asians at the markets

phoenix -- i kinda feel the same way...! i like the bags, and i think i would spend the cash on a real one, but then i sorta feel like EVERYONE has them now and i know they got them from the african guy down the street...! so it makes me kinda not want it now...
off topic, but why are all the fake bag dudes on the street from africa...? not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, but it just makes me wonder, where are the south american bag counterfeiters...? the chinese...? the meth addicts from iowa...? :)

Meg Shep
OMG - How lucky were you to get a real one! I'd be over the moon. There are soo many fakes, you really lucked out.
Served that girl right for cheating on her guy. I'd be hanging on to a guy who would go out and buy me real LV Bags, not cheating

i wanted a louis vuitton for soo long then finally this christmas the love of my life bought me a speedy 30. of course from ebay for 300. so i did everything in my power to make sure it was real and to my suprise it is! 300?? but the guy sent the reciept for it, and y he was selling it for cheap. turns out he spent the amount on it for his gf as a present because she wanted it to bad. everyone thought he was crazy for buying such a expensive bag, but he loved her. so he was bringing it to her and she was so happy to recieve it. she had it for a few weeks (not exactly sure how long but its in good shape) when he found her cheating on him, she had left the bag at his place with all of her blongings. he knew that she would be sad and upset if he sold it, even if he sold it for cheap. so he did! when she came to get it after things cooled down, she asked where it was and he said..i sold it on ebay for 300 bucks. in the note he said..needless to say..i bet she was as heart broken as i was! i love it. and im the only one with a louis vuitton where im from..well a real one anyways! thats my louis vuitton story.